Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero Reviews
Sparking! ZERO is a new evolution for fighting games and a glorious return to the past for the Dragon Ball series, which has managed to bring this franchise back to its golden age.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is a spectacular love letter to the franchise, including many key moments that have kept fans captivated over the long life of the franchise. These moments are nostalgic and warrant a playthrough alone, but the meticulous care and polish put into developing this game makes this one of the best fighting games of this generation.
Overall, the battle system here in Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is frantic and fast-paced. It has been a joy to re-experience the best moments from Dragon Ball Z and Super, voiced by some of the best talent in the business. Dragon Ball is a massive franchise with a huge worldwide following, so as long as the game is well-supported by Bandai Namco there should be reasonable online activity for years to come. Ultimately this is definitely a Dragon Ball game Akira Toriyama would be proud of.
Bandai Namco and Spike Chunsoft pay homage to the work of Akira Toriyama with Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero, an installment that meets expectations, surpassing even Budokai Tenkaichi 3. A title that fulfills everything, giving life to the best game of the spectacular universe of Dragon Ball. A delivery that honors and pays tribute like few others to the legacy of Akira Toriyama, with much affection, sympathy and love.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a great 3D arena fighter that honours the core Dragon Ball series and is also a celebration of the classic, and much loved Tenkaichi series.
DRAGON BALL Sparkling! ZERO is a highly recommended game. Bandai Namco managed to make a worthy continuation of the Budokai Tenkaichi legacy. Featuring 182 characters and a robust campaign, it's the game fans have been asking for so many years.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Sparking! Zero successfully modernizes the chaotic, high-energy battles that fans love, while offering just enough new content to keep things fresh.
All things considered, this is a phenomenal DBZ game that has delivered everything fans have been hoping for. There’s no doubt it’s something we’ve been waiting for years and will be sinking countless hours into in the coming months. For those who aren’t immersed in the DBZ world and approach it as fans of fighting games, they’ll likely still enjoy it, though not to the same extent as us fanatics. One additional inventive mode is notably missing to complete the puzzle and deliver the final punch, but what we have is nearly perfect for this type of game and the material it represents.
Review in Unknown | Read full review
Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero masterfully manages to revive the days of Budokai Tenkaichi, bringing that nostalgic feeling with touches of modernity. By embracing the fact that this series is not a fighting game with Dragon Ball characters, but a Dragon Ball battle simulator, we have the true unbalance that allows us to experience Dragon Ball the way it is, with fusions being stolen and Mr. Satan being a meme, just the way it should be.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
It took 17 years to wait, which in the end were totally worth it. The end result, despite its small problems that are easily resolved, is everything fans ever wanted and dreamed of. Although its story is not as relevant as that of other titles, I feel that it is excellent in this way. I feel that this game is in complete parallel with Dragon Ball Kakarot, that is, one with more competitive gameplay and the other with a more stripped-down story and gameplay more focused on it. I would venture to say that this might be the best Dragon Ball game of all time and that from now on, it will be difficult to build something better than this title. Sparkling! ZERO will certainly remain forever in the history of anime-inspired video games.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The name might have changed, aligning with the Japanese series title, but Sparking! Zero screams Budokai Tenkaichi 4 so loudly that it brings back nostalgic memories. Despite awkward menus and a somewhat incomplete and oddly structured campaign, Bandai Namco and Spike Chunsoft's work is a worthy successor to the beloved series that my peers and I enjoyed playing 17 years ago and has been absent from the gaming scene for far too long.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is a hefty game, yet the clear omissions make it feel like a lesser product compared to a title from nearly two decades ago. And while that may disappoint a lot of players, what is present is a great action fighter that looks and more importantly feels awesome to play.
After years of absence, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero brings us a delicious Dragon Ball game where you can entertain a lot of hours with friends on the couch. Fly with Goku, Vegeta, Gohan and all other known past iconic fights and give it a twist with what could happen if Goku and associates would have made a different choice. Graphically it is really a progress and in terms of fighter schedule you have enough choice not only to opt for a Goku or Vegeta. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a fantastic game that is really made for fans.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO succeeds in delivering a nostalgic yet fresh experience for longtime fans of the series. The sheer amount of content, from its massive roster of characters to the episodic story mode, makes it a love letter to the franchise's rich history. The combat mechanics feel responsive and fast-paced, rewarding both casual and competitive players.
A vibrant, flashy and overdue return to one of Dragon Ball’s best game series. But it’s not quite fresh enough to keep me coming back for more.
Even with some issues that I found a bit obnoxious, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is by far my favorite Dragon Ball game. It modernizes the Budokai Tenkaichi gameplay into something more accessible, cinematic, and downright beautiful. The gameplay is addicting while being deep once you get into the nitty-gritty of the moves you can use, and I adore the custom battles you can make. I do wish the UI and menus were less tedious, and the camera angles in some instances during battle can get in the way, but the sheer fun I had actually battling outweighed it all. I do wish performance on the Steam Deck matched the amount of fun I really had with the game, and I do hope it will get better with some patches, but it is technically playable, as long as you can deal with the drops and slowdowns that could occur.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is far from a perfect game, yet that hardly matters when we’re holding what truly feels like a dream come true. This title is a celebration of the saga, with refined gameplay that will captivate both veterans and newcomers alike. Despite its flaws, the dedication of the development team is clear, delivering everything fans could have wished for—and perhaps even more.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero revives the old Tenkaichi series and, in addition to a huge character package, offers straightforward brawler fun like in the anime.
Review in German | Read full review
I won't say that Sparking! Zero is the best Dragon Ball game out there because I still prefer Kakarot, which is already over four years old. However, it definitely is the adaptation with the most refined combat system and the best fighting game in the Dragon Ball universe on the market. If all elements of the game were on such a high level, it would deserve the highest score, but the limitations in the story mode and the split-screen gameplay are too significant to not negatively affect the final rating. One also can't ignore cut-out content to sell it as DLC. Nevertheless, this doesn't change the fact that we are dealing with an excellent title, which is a must-play for all Dragon Ball series fans.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO returns more loaded than ever, delivering what old players of the Budokai Tenkaichi series have come to expect and adding some nice little extras that go the extra mile in key areas.
Review in Greek | Read full review